U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Edge Slightly Lower

(RTTNews) - First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly edged slightly lower in the week ended September 19th, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday.

The report said initial jobless claims slipped to 197,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level of 198,000.

Economists had expected jobless claims to rise to 204,000 from the 196,000 originally reported for the previous week.

The Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average also dipped to 202,250, a decrease of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average of 204,000.